The Descent Into Hell Is Easy
by Of Darkness and of Light
Summary: The Clave and the Accords haven't always been set in stone. Before this, in a time only a few decades before the days of Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs, the nephilm governed themselves in a way suitable only for the time they were in: A monarchy. 30 Nephilm men and women are being drawn to marry the 8 Ravenscar royals. Who's scandal shall be revealed and who will be caught. SYOC.


Black for hunting through the night

For death and mourning the color's white

Gold for a bride in her wedding gown

And red to call the enchantment down

White silk when our bodies burn

Blue banners when the lost return

Flame for the birth of a Nephilim

And to wash away our sins.

Gray for the knowledge best untold

Bone for those who don't grow old

Saffron lights the victory march

Green to mend our broken hearts

Silver for the demon towers

And bronze to summon wicked powers

\- Cassandra Cass.

* * *

 **Summary:**

The Whitelaw family have been in charge of the Nephilm world for the greater part of the past three centuries, and each new Whitelaw King have chosen their bride through arranged marriages. However, this time the crown prince is doubtful of the process. With the Ravenscar family just having taken over the crown (due to the Whitelaws dying out) royal family has decreed that there be a new way to choose the Royal Consorts of Nephilm: through holding a Selection. With the royal court placing gambles, foes masquerading as friends, and the civil war going on amongst his people, the Selection is a big deal. It's a chance for lower shadowhunting families to move up social ranks, for the royal princesses and princes to marry for love, and for the Ravenscar family to secure their place as rulers. This year, 15 boys and 15 girls will be selected to compete for the hand of each royal family member. Unknown to the general public, this is only so the royal family can gain roots and allies in prominent families

Will your application be selected?

* * *

 **Prologue:**

Alistair pinched the bridge of his nose as he scowled at the newspaper in front of him. The people were more interested to know who next was going to lay claim to head of the London institute than his newly crowned family, and that _wasn't_ the welcome he was looking for. The Ravenscars needed to make a splash. They needed to force their roots heavily enough into the lives of their people to fully integrate their name into society. _BUT HOW?_ Alistair had been agonizing over potential solutions, but none of them ended with good faith towards the monarchy. He let out a frustrated breath and flipped the next page to read the headline.

 ** _" Count Elijah Hightower marries Duchess Wilhemina Lightwood"_**

The article divulged the details of the profitable family alliance and provided pictures of bystanders watching their wedding blocks away from the accords. "BY THE ANGEL" his voice roared with fury. _I WAS UPSTAGED BY WEDDING!_ Alistair vehemently slammed his fist onto the table, the sound of the crack resounding throughout his office. "MAYBE IF I JUST THROW MY OWN DAMNED WEDDING SOMEONE **MIGHT** CARE _!"_ He sarcastically snapped. Alistair sat in deafening silence for a moment before the thought sunk into his head.

This would get his family into the papers, and none of his children were married; he had made sure of that. He could place his sons and his daughters' spouses as heads of the institutes to assure loyalty. He could even make a grand ceremony out of the ordeal- the public ate those kind of displays like the starved.

This could work.

* * *

 **The Royal Family:**

 **King Alistair Ravenscar** : Alistair is a caste climber and he'll do ANYTHING to make sure his family has a secured place on top even if it means sacrificing one of them. Don't underestimate his measurers. People like what a fierce warrior he is and how effective him being King is to dissuade downworlders from acting out. He's very quick to caste harsh punishment. He's had mistresses in his past. Alistair is 47 with graying blonde hair, grey eyes, and a tall stature.

 **Queen Mary Ravenscar** : Mary is his manipulating wife. She's just as cunning as the Queen of faeries and only wants the best for her children. She's poised, beautiful, and ready to mess up the Selected. She's 45, with black hair, blue eyes, short, and slender. She's previously a Herondale.

 **The Princess Royal, Seraphina Ravenscar** : Seraphina is a hard to impress refined LADY. The rules of etiquette have been beaten into her and she's never really had the opportunity to let loose. She's the oldest child and feels an almost maternal responsibility for all of her younger siblings. Her parents, as they had been vying for the crown, refused to let her get married. At age 27, she's very off schedule of the typical timeline of nephilm women and she's bitter about it. Seraphina just needs love. She has long dark brown hair, grey eyes, she's very tall, slender, and rarely has a smile on her face.

 **The Crown Prince, Christopher Ravenscar** : Christopher is the next in line for the throne, so many girls are after him. He's cocky, arrogant, and infamously a player. He's certainly going to be having a friends with benefits relationship and has gotten hurt from being rejected by the girl he was in love with 5 years ago. This made him turned off to the idea of love and it will be very hard to tame this royal ass. He's 26 years old, moderately tall, black long hair, with grey eyes. A new girl is almost always by his side.

 **Prince Gideon Ravenscar** : Gideon is very sweet. He's had to clean up after his older brother his entire life and as such he feels very resigned that that's what he'll have to do forever, being the next oldest son. Gideon is artistic, but keeps to himself. He's curt, polite, and slow to trust. Many people wonder if the King will hand the crown over to him over his older brother, but Gideon knows that won't happen. He's 25 years old, on the shorter side, blonde short hair, grey eyes, and usually looks very stiff in pictures.

 **Prince Reginald Ravenscar** : Reginald, while he's not a notorious ladies man like Christopher, he's most definitely a cheeky little thing. He's very friendly, but likes to crack those jokes that might not be entirely appropriate for the moment. He's trained as a shadowhunter and is trying to convince his father to let him lead an institute after this whole Selection is over with. Reginald's 25 years old, the younger fraternal twin of Gideon, on the taller side, blonde chin length hair, grey eyes, and always grins for newspaper photos.

 **Princess Beatrix Ravenscar** : Beatrix is the next oldest Princess and rolls her eyes in regards to her older sister. Very sarcastic and very feministic. She, like her older sister, traditionally should have been married by now, but unlike her older sister, she doesn't care. Beatrix is a go getter and somewhat a tomboy (though she doesn't dress like one). Beatrix is famous through Idris for being drop dead beautiful. Unknown to everyone, she's actually bisexual. This is highly frowned upon in this time, especially since she favors girls. However she's looking for someone to treat her as their equal. She has long black hair, grey eyes, a curvy short frame. She's 24.

 **Princess Kathleen Ravenscar** : Now, Kathleen is something special. She was adopted by the Ravenscar family, but holds in her hands the ownership of the largest shadowhunter institute in the world: The Paris institute. Born, Evangeline Donnedieu, her parents died when she was 2 in battle. King Alistair Ravenscar was her father's parabatai and has raised her as his own, but with a new name, so no questions would be asked regarding if she was his child. Kathleen is a sweet, naive girl. Very trusting. Beatrix thinks she's an idiot, and to be fair she's somewhat dense. Kathleen is 23 with red hair, grey eyes, a tall curvy frame, and she's usually glancing around the room thinking.

 **Princess Vivienne Ravenscar** : Vivienne looks out for own interests. As the 6th child, she knows that unless she makes sure she gets the best things, she won't get them. She's very vain and values material things. Deep down however, she wants someone to take care of her so she can put down her wall of indifference. She has long blonde hair, grey eyes, a curvy average frame, and she's 22 years old, being in the late side of the spectrum for marriage.

 **Prince Walter Ravenscar** : Walter is an outdoorsy simple guy. Since he knows that he doesn't really hold much importance in the family, he cherishes things like love and values chivalrous morals. He's your everyday knight in shining armor. After the selection he wants to go to countryside of Idris and become a blacksmith. He's tall, with brown short hair, and grey eyes as well as 21 years old.

* * *

 **Authors Note**

-And there's your royal family-

Application is on my profile, submit by PM. Apologies that there's a weak prologue, I just wanted to get this idea out there.

I'll be making a blog too, so I'll ask for a faceclaim soon-


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